Hair comb and cutting guide

ABSTRACT

A device to facilitate hair cutting includes a pair of arms having a resilient pivotal connection at one end and a laterally extending comb member and cooperating grip plate member at the opposite ends. The comb and grip plate are brought together to clamp and lift the hair therebetween to provide a guide for cutting the hair to a desired length with a minimum of manipulation. The comb and plate members are preferably angled to extend inwardly toward one another with the plate arm being shorter to engage the upper side of the comb member.

United States Patent Suvino July 15, 1975 HAIR COMB AND CUTTING GUIDEPrimarv Examiner-G. E. McNeil] [76] Inventor. ga 2: 3 glg gg i g gggAttorney, Agent, or FirmEdward Goldberg [22] Filed: Mar. 4, 1974 [57]ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 447,492

A devlce to facilitate ha1r cuttmg includes a pan of arms having aresilient pivotal connection at one end. US. Cl. R and a laterallyextending comb member and cooperatl5 II'lt. CI.2 plate member at thepposite ends The comb Field Search 132/9, 45 R, and grip plate arebrought together to clamp and lift 128/348 the hair therebetween toprovide a guide for cutting the hair to a desired length with a minimumof manip- [56] References Cited ulation. The comb and plate members arepreferably UNlTED STATES PATENTS angled to extend inwardly toward oneanother with 1,182,242 5/1916 Bennett 132/145 the Plate am being Shorterto engage the upper Side 1,812,443 6/1931 Mason... 0f the comb r-2,786,477 3/1957 Cohcn.... 3,272,209 9/l966 Kraus 132 45 R 8 Clams 6Drawmg Figures PETFE FEQJUL 15 m5 IH III IIIH HIHHIHIIHIHHIII HAIR COMBAND CUTTING GUIDE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to hair combing and cutting implements andparticularly to a novel comb and guide device which permits cutting thehair evenly in a simple efficient manner.

2. Description of the Prior Art Generally, in the process of cuttinglong hair, a hair dresser or barber first uses a comb in one hand tocomb and lift the hair. He then grips the hair with the fingers of theother hand at the desired length, while exchanging the comb for ascissors in the first hand. He then cuts the hair with the scissors inthe first hand while the fingers of the other hand hold the hair andserve as a rough guide. This process is continued in successive repetitive steps and requires some degree of skill and training to achievea hair length having a smooth evenly cut appearance.

Prior devices to facilitate and simplify this process include a largepivotally connected comb and band of like curvature such as shown in US.Pat. .No. 1,182,242, issued May 9, I916. In this case, the entire backand sides of the hair of a desired length are mechanically clamped inplace between the band and close fitting comb. The lower edge of theclamp then merely provides a guide to cut the hair along a straightline. Another known device, shown in US. Pat. No. l,853,828, issued Apr.12, I932, uses a pair of pivotal scissor-like handles with meshing combsextending laterally from the opposite ends. The graded teeth of one combengage the other to hold the hair and provide a guide across theextending surfaces for cutting with a scissors. This device, however, isdifficult to manipulate and requires precise alignment in order for theopposing teeth to mesh properly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary object of thepresent invention to provide a novel hair comb and cutting guide toolwhich will comb, lift and clamp the hair at a desired length in a simpleoperation with one hand while providing a guide for cutting the hairwith a pair of scissors in the other hand.

This is accomplished with a device having a pair of arms extending froma common resilient pivotal connection at one end. A toothed comb memberand an engaging grip plate member extend laterally toward one anotherfrom the opposite ends. The arms are moved together by the operator andraised in a continuous motion so that the hair is combed, lifted andgripped between the plate and comb at a desired length with one hand,while serving as a guide for cutting with scissors in the other hand.The comb and plate are preferably angled, with the plate memberextending from the shorter arm to engage the upper side of the combmember. The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a side view of the devicein a normally open position;

FIG. 2 shows a side view in a closed position;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of one arm having the grip plate member;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the other arm having the comb member;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of the comb; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the grip plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a pair ofresilient thin elongated metal arms 10, 12 are connected together by abent portion havinga U or V-shaped configuration which provides a commonpivotal center of rotation at one end l4. Extending from the oppositeopen ends of the respective arms are a centrally disposed comb member 16and a cooperating grip plate 18. The comb member 16 extends laterallyfrom the lower end of arm 10 at slightly more than a right angle towardthe spaced opposite arm and the grip plate 18 extends laterally at asomewhat larger obtuse angle from the lower end of arm 12 toward thecomb end. Arm 10 is preferably longer than arm 12 so that the outerstraight edge 20 of the grip plate will engage the flat upper surface 22of the comb in the closed position, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. Thelength of arm I0 from the end I4 to the base of the comb may, forexample, be about 6 inches while arm I2 excluding the grip plate may beabout 5 /2 inches long. In addition, the width of the I arms may beabout three-fourths of an inch while the thickness is aboutone-sixteenth inch.

The comb member 16, as shown in FIG. 4 in a front view of arm 10 and ina separate top view in FIG. 5, is also preferably of metal and may bestamped out of a thin sheet of metal common to the entire device. orsecured to the end of arm 10 by any suitable method, such as spotwelding, riveting or brazing. The teeth 24 of the comb, however, mayalso be tapered in thickness from a larger dimension at the base 26 ofthe comb to a narrower dimension at the outer end. The thickness of thecomb and teeth may similarly be tapered in the side view, as shown inFIG. 1. The comb may typically be about 3 to 4 inches long and 1 inchwide and have about 30-45 teeth of a thickness and spacing between onethirty-second to one-sixteenth inch. The base 26 of the comb may beabout one-fourth to one-half inch in width and the teeth may extend anadditional one-half inch. The upper surface of the comb also includes afurther thin base plate member 28 which is secured along .the length ofthe base of the comb and has corresponding dimensions. The outer edge ofmember 28 provides a stop member to engage the edge 20 of grip plate 18of the opposite arm in the closed position or to grip a lock of hairtherebetween.

Thecooperating grip plate member 18, as shown in a front view of arm 12in FIG. 3 and in further detail in a top view in FIG. 6, is likewise ofa thin metal preferably stamped out of a common sheet, or alternatively,may be secured in a suitable manner along the mid-section of the upperedge 30 to the lower end of arm 12. The lower edge 20 of the grip plateforms a straight line to engage the corresponding edge of comb baseplate 28 along upper comb surface 22 as shown in FIG. '2, or to griphair therebetween. The straight edge of the grip plate thus provides aguide for cutting the hair along a parallel line. The grip plate ispreferably about the same length, width and thickness as the comb toengage the full length of the base plate along the upper side of thecomb when the arms are closed.

In use, the fingers of the operator movethe ends of the open armstogether so that the teeth of the combv I raised, knurled or roughenedsurfaceareas'32 to permit the fingers of the operator to handle and holdthe device firmly. In another variation, the connected ends of the armsmay be coupled together by a pivot member and a resilient spring membermay hold the arms ,in a normally open position. I v

The present invention thus provides an improved simplified haircomb andguide which permits cutting hair in a more efficient manner. Whileseveral embodiments have been illustrated or described, it is apparentthat many other variations may be made in the particular design andconfiguration without departing from the scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A hair comb and guide device comprising a pair oflongitudinally extending arms having a common pivotal connection at oneend, the opposite ends of said arms being free, a comb member extendinglaterally from the free end of one arm and having teeth facing inwardlytoward the free end of the other arm, and

, plate members.

a grip member extending laterally.from the free end of the other arm andhaving an outer edge engageable with the uppersurfade of said combmember to clamp hair therebetween. I r

2. The device .of claim 1 wherein said arms are resiliently connected atsaid one end and said comb and grip plate are normally. spaced apart atthe opposite ends, said other arm and grip plate member being shorterthan said one arm and comb so that said outer edge of said. grip plateengages said upper surface of said co'mb when brought together in aclosed position. '3. The-device of claim 2 wherein said arms are ofresilient thin metal connected by a bent portion at said one end. s

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said grip plate extends inward at anangle from said other arm toward said comb member and said outer edgehas a straight line providing a guide for cutting hair.

i 5. The device of-claim4 wherein said comb member includes a base, aplurality of teeth extending from said base, and a raised stop member onthe upper surface of said base adapted to engage said outer edge of saidgrip plate.

6QThe device of claim 5 wherein said teeth are tapered from a largerthicknessat said base to a smaller thickness at the outer ends.

7. The device of claim 6 including handling means disposed on areasalong the outer surfaces of said arms.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said opposite ends of said arms areconnected respectively to the midsections along the inner edges of saidcomb and grip

1. A hair comb and guide device comprising a pair of longitudinallyextending arms having a common pivotal connection at one end, theopposite ends of said arms being free, a comb member extending laterallyfrom the free end of one arm and having teeth facing inwardly toward thefree end of the other arm, and a grip member extending laterally fromthe free end of the other arm and having an outer edge engageable withthe upper surface of said comb member to clamp hair therebetween.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein said arms are resiliently connected at saidone end and said comb and grip plate are normally spaced apart at theopposite ends, said other arm and grip plate member being shorter thansaid one arm and comb so that said outer edge of said grip plate engagessaid upper surface of said comb when brought together in a closedposition.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said arms are of resilientthin metal connected by a bent portion at said one end.
 4. The device ofclaim 3 wherein said grip plate extends inward at an angle from saidother arm toward said comb member and said outer edge has a straightline providing a guide for cutting hair.
 5. The device of claim 4wherein said comb member includes a base, a plurality of teeth extendingfrom said base, and a raised stop member on the upper surface of saidbase adapted to engage said outer edge of said grip plate.
 6. The deviceof claim 5 wherein said teeth are tapered from a larger thickness atsaid base to a smaller thickness at the outer ends.
 7. The device ofclaim 6 including handling means disposed on areas along the outersurfaces of said arms.
 8. The device of claim 6 wherein said oppositeends of said arms are connected respectively to the mid-sections alongthe inner edges of said comb and grip plate members.